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Anonymous User
Not applicable

Geo blocked - when a UK address isn't a UK address...

...at least, according to Now TV's system.

 

I keep having problems with my account. Every few weeks when I try to watch something on Now TV, the service will stop working. On most of my devices it'll just report an error. On my Apple TV, it says 'Error: Content geo blocked (1301)'.

 

Once when this happened, I managed to get through to someone on the chat help pages who vaguely knew what the problem might be. It appears that Now TV think that my home's IP address is not in the UK.

 

My IP address is static. It never changes, no matter if I reboot my router or not. It's registered by Independent Fibre Networks Limited, and every 'what is my IP?' website I can find clearly says that the IP is within the UK.

 

Yet once every few weeks, Now TV's system thinks I'm outside the UK and blocks me from accessing the service I'm paying for.

 

And, here's the kicker: the one time I raised this with support and got the person who knew what the problem might be, they told me that Now TV cannot do anything about this. They cannot update their database with information that says that this IP address is in the UK.

 

This... is pretty rubbish. 

 

I'm having this issue once again. I've got it flagged on chat, and it's apparently case number 01016027. I'm being promised an email from support to resolve the issue. I'm dubious.

 

Is anyone else stuck having the same issue??

23 REPLIES 23
Andy
Legend 5
Legend 5

@Anonymous User

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

Youre not using any method eg proxy bypasses/VPNs to make it appear as if you are outside the UK are you (eg so you can watch Netflix US for instance). If not you could try rebooting your broadband router and trying again.

 

failing that, Sky Store have their own support site where you can call, email or use live chat to ask for help (although there is a Sky Store app on the NOW TV box, Sky Store is actually a separate service from NOW TV). You can contact them here for help

 

https://www.skystore.com/help/contact-us

Anonymous User
Not applicable

I don't know what proxy bypasses/VPNs are.

I've moved to a new build and the only provider is See the Light but i've just checked the IP address and it says cardiff so it should work.

 

Thank you for the advice i'll try contacting the Sky support site

Last time I saw this type of issue reported (not on here I might add and it was some time ago now), the ISP in question had acquired a new block of IPv4 addresses from a previous owner who was outside the UK and the new ownership details (which include country of domain) hadn't rippled around the various DNS databases (RIPE etc) for some reason. Could that be it? It got sorted eventually but not sure how long before reports of it died out.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Hi @Anonymous User, 

 

@dr_necessitor has a good point there. This has happened before. Can you check your IP on www.iplocation.net and see if any of the results come up as overseas? Even if just one does, that'll be what's causing the issue.

 

If that is the case, could you check with your ISP to see if it's possible for them to give you a different IP? The only way to do it for yourself is turn your router off for a while, then back on, and hope it changes.

The location of the IP will eventually update, I'm sure, but there's no defined time limit on that.

 

Thanks,

 

Tom

Anonymous User
Not applicable

Plusnet had a problem with a batch of IP address that were located in California.

 

Did mean that, for a short period of time, people could watch Netflix USA Smiley Happy

 

It was resolved a while ago.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

I'm having this problem too - just started today, have tried restarting router, doesn't work. Am most definitely in central London! Rather bizarre as my Netflix account, on same AppleTV, seems to think I'm in the UK.

 

Does the NowTV tech support team read these boards? Would be great if someone could email me, if so!

 

 

ukbobboy
Legend

@Anonymous User

 

Hi Pat

 

You should contact Live Chat at the following URL:

 

http://help.nowtv.com/contact-us/Supported-devices

 

 

UK Bob

Anonymous User
Not applicable
I did - they were spectacularly unhelpful - guy I spoke to didn't seem to be aware of what an Apple TV was and kept referring to Mac problems until I demonstrated the problem on a windows laptop as well. Gave him the information re IPs etc but he ignored.

Not wasting another hour on that...
Andy
Legend 5
Legend 5

@Anonymous User 

 

Welcome to the forum. Rather than just restarting your router turn it off for 10-15 mins. This should force a new IP address allocation which usually solves the issue.

Anonymous User
Not applicable
Thanks Andy - IP address is actually showing up as being a UK one though...